Inside the Collective vol. 3 | Katie
Tell the B+F community a bit about yourself + your cosmic imprint…
Aquarius Sun, Aries Moon, Virgo Rising; 6/2 Splenic Projector; Mom to a Generator (son); I’m a registered veterinary technician and have been working in the field for over 10 years. I just recently quit my job to start doing Human Design readings full time.
How long have you been studying your Design?
I first learned about Human Design probably 3 years ago. I’ve been studying it for ~ 2 years and living my design (or at least trying to) for ~ 1 year.
What led you here?
I sort of went down the TikTok rabbit hole during quarantine. I’ve always been interesting in astrology so as astrology videos started coming up, that transitioned into tarot readings which lead to something about Human Design coming up on my FYP. From that point on, I was OBSESSED! I’ve been trying to find as much information about Human Design as possible since!
Which aspects have been most helpful so far?
I’ve found Human Design has been most helpful for me to just understand myself better. I’m a Projector so I’ve never been good at “selling myself”; I’ve been called lazy a lot because I’ve never had sustainable energy; I also have Gate 17 (opinions). Finding out all these things (and obviously MUCH MORE), I was able to understand and accept myself for who I am and realize that I am who I am and not who others perceive me to be in their mind. I’m much less critical of myself now that I know these things and waiting for the invitation has proven to really be helpful for me. I also love that every time I go back and study something that I’m learning different things each time. Depending on where I’m at in my life or what connections I’m able to make to other people or my own life, I feel like there is always something new to learn with Human Design.
What parts of The Collective do you enjoy exploring the most right now?
First off, I LOVE your layout. Honestly it makes my brain happy and I really enjoy the way you organize your work. But I really have used your explanations of Gates pretty frequently. I like that you combine the astrology and herbalism aspects and I feel like I’m able to relate to and learn them better that way. I’m most excited to get into the planets next. I feel like I’m interested in various out of the box things with HD; I am interested in childrens charts, mammal charts, variables, family/penta charts. I would love to learn more about those things but it’s hard to find resources for it.
Are there any things you are struggling to integrate?
The planets and their energy – I’m having a hard time fully relating the Gate IN the planet. I’m getting better with at least if a Gate is in a challenging planet I’m able to identify how “likely” they’re probably living the low expression of the Gate (or at least that seems to be my correlation from looking at them). But I’m not sure how, for example, Gate 15 in Neptune would be different than Gate 15 in Pluto.
In what ways do you move through The Collective?
I don’t really have a way of moving through The Collective right now. I mostly go to where I am looking for information. I want to really deep dive into all of the added resources and support that you have but I haven’t found time yet to do that!
What tools have you used within that have been the most helpful?
I like to use Subliminals. I find that with my undefined crown and defined ajna that my mind has really been in control of my life so something that I’m not having to focus on but is subconsciously helping is totally my jam! I also love EFT tapping. And I find with my clients, that using some of your journal prompts and really just tips for support are a lot of times very useful for them because they start to think about the information that I just gave them in a different way.
How have you integrated Human Design with your family/friends?
My family and friends are actually shocked at how accurate this all is. I, of course, have pulled anyone and everyone’s charts that I can and it’s helped me better understand them and also better accept them for who they are.
But, in regards to kids design, this is actually the part of Human Design that I’m extremely interested in! Of course, finding information, or anyone that teaches it has proven to be pretty challenging. But I am a projector. My entire life, I’ve been called lazy, bossy, opinionated, too emotional, and have never felt like I’ve known who I am. Enter Human Design. I find out that I’m a Projector. I find out I have Gate 17 in my Conscious Moon. I have an open Emotional Solar Plexus and an undefined G center!! Mind absolutely blown and all because I realized I’d been conditioned into being something that I’m not. So in Aug 2019, I had my son. I wasn’t fully submerged into Human Design just yet but I was close. I knew that my son was “high energy”, he loved to sleep, he was very empathetic, and he was strict about routine, but it has to be his own routine. Well once I found Human Design I of course pulled his chart. Given that he was probably 6-9 months old at the time and I was pretty new to the concept, I had no idea what I should be reading in his chart. Cue, Amanda and Barney + Flow! I found Amanda’s children’s blueprint and almost on a whim bought it right away. And I just loved the parts of his chart that she looked at. At first, I just figured it was a generalized overview report, but she had nuanced information about his chart that didn’t necessarily go into her “outline”. This information has helped me so tremendously and I find myself going back and reading it time and time again because I find new information that’s useful to his age every time I read it.
Long story short, I would like to help parents better understand their children. All parents are simply doing their best, but if we could help decrease the conditioning that’s getting pushed on these children that are clearly meant to live differently, I would like to help make that easier if I can.
(I’m also really interested in reading animals/mammals charts, I’m hopefully looking into breeders to contact to study their dogs in relation to their design!)
What do you love about yourself that you can see in your chart/Design?
I love that I’m a Projector. I hate waiting for the invitation and I wish I just got a roadmap like a Generator. But I love resting!
“I also loved finding out that I had Gate 64 and Gate 61. It just felt very validating with my overthinking. And once I knew about it, I’m able to just let thoughts pass a lot more instead of sitting with them and letting them fester.”
What tips might you have for Living Your Design?
Don’t take it too seriously! There is no “right” and no “wrong”; no “good” or “bad”; everything just is. Once you can recognize and accept the things about yourself that you used to find negative, they no longer hold weight and it’s much easier to just move past it.
What is the easiest and/or most challenging way you’ve learned to lean in?
The answer to both of those questions is Waiting for the Invitation haha I hate waiting. I’ve always been impatient (thanks Aries Moon) and waiting for someone to invite me seems brutal. But I’ve been able to see in real-time and look back on situations in my life where I waited, and things turned out great, or where I didn’t wait, and I didn’t get what I wanted. And I have peace of mind that, anything that is meant for me, won’t pass me by. So even if I do wait, and I don’t text first, or initiate something, if it’s meant for me, then it will come to me and there’s no way for me to mess that up!
What has been most validating in your Design of late?
Probably the study I’ve done into my incarnation cross and looking at my life purpose. I’m meant to do great things, and I’ve been so scared of disappointing people by not being who they think I should be. But I’ve never been who they thought I was, so why continue to put myself in that box.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE GATE YOU HAVE AND WHY?
Probably Gate 17 – my gate of opinions! This was the biggest ah-ha moment for me when I found this out. Combining it with being a Projector, I finally realized where most of my anxiety comes from and it’s from being opinionated and usually not using my Strategy & Authority so it was overwhelming to people and would turn them off. I have to find my right audience and wait to share my opinions. But it’s okay to have them.
Outside of your Design what practices do you feel most serve your greater well-being at this time?
Breathwrk app; Keisha Frazier’s Virtual Healing Studio; Sumbliminals playlist on YouTube
Honestly, I have an Active brain and I don't have a routine. I feel like in the grand scheme of things, I do follow a routine, but I am actually awful at sticking to routines.
Where can we find you?
Charlotte, North Carolina
Instagram @katiealmond3
Website: Readings by Katie